Administrator of UGCC Calls to Pray for Those Who Left Church
The administrator of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Bishop Ihor Vozniak, called Greek Catholics during Lent to “pray for the conversion of all those who found themselves outside the saving fence of the church for various reasons,” reads the address signed on March 10, 2011. The document was largely written in connection with the beatification of Pope John Paul II to be held on May 1.
“Our joy is not full yet as today the Church of Christ in our land is suffering. Pain is caused by the fact that there appeared in Ukraine new sectarians, the Dognal Group, who do their best for the sake of their ambitions and interests in order to defile the holy memory of Pope John Paul II. They shamelessly slander with their sick fantasies the light image of the man who did so much good for the Ecumenical Church and our church, in particular, whose image and position became close to many Ukrainians, not only Catholics,” wrote Bishop Vozniak.
According to the administrator of the UGCC, that sect, which is hostile to anything Catholic or Ukrainian and which is led by Antonin (Iliia) Dognal, by such actions shows its true face and that it does not care about the good of the Ukrainian nation or the Church of Christ.
“It was John Paul II who did his best to obtain freedom for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from USSR. The pope showed special respect for our martyr church, which can be illustrated by the majestic triumph of beatification of the Ukrainian new martyrs during his pastoral visit to our country. His love for our church was so great that he, as the Supreme Hierarch of the Church of Christ, was not afraid to state in the end of '80s that the faithfulness of the Ukrainian Greek Catholics to him obliges him to remain faithful to Ukrainian Greek Catholics."
In regards to the visit of Pope John Paul II to Ukraine in June 2001, the administrator of the UGCC noted: “This holy father of our time, in whom the Gospel became alive, gave a testimony of the faith not only in word but also in deed.”
As reported by the Information Department of the UGCC, according to the instruction of the administrator, the address will be read out in all the churches of UGCC on March 13 or 20.
